This invention relates generally to electrical interface devices and more particularly concerns connectors for interfacing circuit boards with portable circuit cards.
Presently known electronic card connectors are generally soldered to the circuit board circuitry with which they are to be associated. These connections are intended to be permanent and, when damaged, require time consuming and expensive repair or replacement. Usually a switch at the card connector edge is triggered by the insertion of the card and any card will activate the system, even if inserted upside down. Their circuits are generally disconnected from the board circuit by use of a separate switch external to the connector. Their contacts are generally arranged in a way that variations or irregularities in the card surface can inhibit positive electrical contact or cause physical damage to the card. They are generally composed of many separate parts, increasing the cost of both manufacture and assembly. And they are susceptible to infiltration by dust, dirt and other undesirable substances which can cause failure in the mechanical and electrical operation of the system.
It is, therefore, among the objects of this invention to provide a card connector that may be readily snapped on or off a circuit board. Another object of this invention is to provide a card connector having an internal switch activated only by proper insertion of a proper card into the connector. It is also an object of this invention to provide a card connector which compensates for variations in the surface or thickness of the card as well as variations in the dimensions of the connector components, be they the result of structural tolerances or temperature related compression-expansion characteristics, to assume positive electrical connection between the card and the connector. Correlatively, it is an object of this invention to provide a card connector in which discrete circuits are completed by independently free moving conductive ball bearings. And, it is an object of this invention to provide a card connector having a small number of components and an integrally molded body. Another object of this invention is to provide a card conductor which minimizes the possibility of damage to a card inserted therein. It is a further object of this invention to provide a card connector that is self-sealing against intrusion of foreign substances in the absence of a card in the connector. Still another object of this invention is to provide a card connector having contacts which are wiped during use to enhance the possibility of repetitively positive electrical connections.